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CHAPTER XII MATURATION AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF SUI AND TANG THEORIES OF CALLIGRAPHY AND PAINTING

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Volume 3 A General History of Chinese Art
This chapter is in the book Volume 3 A General History of Chinese Art
CHAPTER XIIMATURATION AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF SUI AND TANG THEORIES OF CALLIGRAPHY AND PAINTINGWith great ambition and broad horizons, Tang Dynasty painting and calligraphy theorists ear-nestly continued the traditional painting and calligraphy theory of the Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties, carrying out new inte-grations on the basis of it. To the many and varied questions raised during these periods, the Tang devised a response brimming with modern flavor. Not only did the Tang Dynasty improve the theo-retical assessments of the Wei, Jin, and the North-ern and Southern Dynasties, but also created var-ious new formats. The Tang also carried out more extensive research than before, resulting in ad-vanced knowledge. Taking the thought enforced by previous dynasties as its principle, painting and calligraphy theorists of the Tang established models and regulations. Following the emergence of great, comprehensive criticisms such as Notes on Calligraphy (Shupu书谱), Judgements on Cal-ligraphy (Shuduan书断), Celebrated Painters of the Tang Dynasty (Tangchao minghua lu唐朝名画录), and Famous Paintings Through the Ages (Lidai minghua ji历代名画记), painting and calligraphy theory entered a period of maturation.Section 1 Maturation of Theories of Calligraphy and Painting1. The Diversification of TheoriesThe maturation of Tang Dynasty fine arts theory can first be seen in the diversification of theoreti-cal forms. The Tang Dynasty refined the painting and calligraphy assessment format of Han-Wei and the Six Dynasties, and initiated or enriched several kinds of literary methods, using »verse,« »man-tras,« »collections,« and »records« as theories of painting and calligraphy, as well the »rhapsody« narrative. This fundamentally completed the crit-ical literature of fine arts in the Tang Dynasty.In ancient theoretical literature on Chinese fine arts, although the Six Dynasties had already es-tablished fundamentals of assessment style for-mats such as the classification, critique, rhap-sody, appraisal, and collection, they were not yet complete. The Tang Dynasty inherited the Six Dy-nasties tradition, refining and finalizing the for-mats of classifications and critique, as well as dis-cussions and rhapsodies. This caused its theoret-ical format to resemble those used in later gener-ations. As regards calligraphy theory, assessment was propelled forward by inherited works such as Yu Jianwu’s Classifications of Calligraphy (Shupin书品), Yuan Ang’s Criticism of Ancient and Modern Calligraphy (Gujin shuping古今书评), Li Sizhen’s Classification of Later Calligraphy (Shuhou pin书后品), and Zhang Huai’s Judgements on Callig-raphy (Shuduan书断). In »Classification Three, Rank Nine« of Classification of Calligraphy, in Classification of Later Calligraphy (Shuhou pin书后品), the styles were expanded to include the »mediocre classification.« Judgements on Calligra-phy, which compiled history and led with theory, was more meticulous and orderly than Ancient and Modern Calligraphy.More »theories« were used in the Tang Dynasty than in the Six Dynasties, and as a result they became longer. The »rhapsody« historical narra-tion was also a successful innovation of the Tang. Dou Ji’s Narrative Rhapsodies (Shushu fu述书赋),
© 2022 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

CHAPTER XIIMATURATION AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF SUI AND TANG THEORIES OF CALLIGRAPHY AND PAINTINGWith great ambition and broad horizons, Tang Dynasty painting and calligraphy theorists ear-nestly continued the traditional painting and calligraphy theory of the Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties, carrying out new inte-grations on the basis of it. To the many and varied questions raised during these periods, the Tang devised a response brimming with modern flavor. Not only did the Tang Dynasty improve the theo-retical assessments of the Wei, Jin, and the North-ern and Southern Dynasties, but also created var-ious new formats. The Tang also carried out more extensive research than before, resulting in ad-vanced knowledge. Taking the thought enforced by previous dynasties as its principle, painting and calligraphy theorists of the Tang established models and regulations. Following the emergence of great, comprehensive criticisms such as Notes on Calligraphy (Shupu书谱), Judgements on Cal-ligraphy (Shuduan书断), Celebrated Painters of the Tang Dynasty (Tangchao minghua lu唐朝名画录), and Famous Paintings Through the Ages (Lidai minghua ji历代名画记), painting and calligraphy theory entered a period of maturation.Section 1 Maturation of Theories of Calligraphy and Painting1. The Diversification of TheoriesThe maturation of Tang Dynasty fine arts theory can first be seen in the diversification of theoreti-cal forms. The Tang Dynasty refined the painting and calligraphy assessment format of Han-Wei and the Six Dynasties, and initiated or enriched several kinds of literary methods, using »verse,« »man-tras,« »collections,« and »records« as theories of painting and calligraphy, as well the »rhapsody« narrative. This fundamentally completed the crit-ical literature of fine arts in the Tang Dynasty.In ancient theoretical literature on Chinese fine arts, although the Six Dynasties had already es-tablished fundamentals of assessment style for-mats such as the classification, critique, rhap-sody, appraisal, and collection, they were not yet complete. The Tang Dynasty inherited the Six Dy-nasties tradition, refining and finalizing the for-mats of classifications and critique, as well as dis-cussions and rhapsodies. This caused its theoret-ical format to resemble those used in later gener-ations. As regards calligraphy theory, assessment was propelled forward by inherited works such as Yu Jianwu’s Classifications of Calligraphy (Shupin书品), Yuan Ang’s Criticism of Ancient and Modern Calligraphy (Gujin shuping古今书评), Li Sizhen’s Classification of Later Calligraphy (Shuhou pin书后品), and Zhang Huai’s Judgements on Callig-raphy (Shuduan书断). In »Classification Three, Rank Nine« of Classification of Calligraphy, in Classification of Later Calligraphy (Shuhou pin书后品), the styles were expanded to include the »mediocre classification.« Judgements on Calligra-phy, which compiled history and led with theory, was more meticulous and orderly than Ancient and Modern Calligraphy.More »theories« were used in the Tang Dynasty than in the Six Dynasties, and as a result they became longer. The »rhapsody« historical narra-tion was also a successful innovation of the Tang. Dou Ji’s Narrative Rhapsodies (Shushu fu述书赋),
© 2022 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. CONTENTS V
  3. OVERVIEW 1
  4. CHAPTER I SPECTACULAR COURT MUSIC AND DANCE OF THE SUI AND TANG DYNASTIES 19
  5. CHAPTER II MUSIC AND DANCE OF THE PREFECTURES, COUNTIES, DEFENSE COMMANDS AND THE LITERATI; RICH DIVERSITY IN FOLK MUSIC, DANCE AND VARIETY SHOWS 69
  6. CHAPTER III THE GLORY OF THE ART OF DANCE 110
  7. CHAPTER IV BRILLIANT ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE MUSICAL ARTS 145
  8. CHAPTER V THE ACHIEVEMENTS AND DEVELOPMENT OF OTHER IMPORTANT VARIETY ARTS 180
  9. CHAPTER VI THEORIES OF THE PERFORMING ART IN THE SUI AND TANG DYNASTIES AND EXCHANGES IN MUSIC, DANCE, AND VARIETY SHOWS 208
  10. CHAPTER VII THE ART OF CALLIGRAPHY IN THE SUI AND THE EARLY TANG 244
  11. CHAPTER VIII THE ART OF CALLIGRAPHY IN THE HIGH, MIDDLE, AND LATE TANG 273
  12. CHAPTER IX PAINTINGS AND MURALS OF THE SUI AND TANG DYNASTIES 306
  13. CHAPTER X SCULPTURAL ART OF THE SUI AND TANG DYNASTIES 348
  14. CHAPTER XI ARCHITECTURE AND CRAFT ARTS OF THE SUI AND TANG DYNASTIES 380
  15. CHAPTER XII MATURATION AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF SUI AND TANG THEORIES OF CALLIGRAPHY AND PAINTING 421
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https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110790955-013

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. CONTENTS V
  3. OVERVIEW 1
  4. CHAPTER I SPECTACULAR COURT MUSIC AND DANCE OF THE SUI AND TANG DYNASTIES 19
  5. CHAPTER II MUSIC AND DANCE OF THE PREFECTURES, COUNTIES, DEFENSE COMMANDS AND THE LITERATI; RICH DIVERSITY IN FOLK MUSIC, DANCE AND VARIETY SHOWS 69
  6. CHAPTER III THE GLORY OF THE ART OF DANCE 110
  7. CHAPTER IV BRILLIANT ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE MUSICAL ARTS 145
  8. CHAPTER V THE ACHIEVEMENTS AND DEVELOPMENT OF OTHER IMPORTANT VARIETY ARTS 180
  9. CHAPTER VI THEORIES OF THE PERFORMING ART IN THE SUI AND TANG DYNASTIES AND EXCHANGES IN MUSIC, DANCE, AND VARIETY SHOWS 208
  10. CHAPTER VII THE ART OF CALLIGRAPHY IN THE SUI AND THE EARLY TANG 244
  11. CHAPTER VIII THE ART OF CALLIGRAPHY IN THE HIGH, MIDDLE, AND LATE TANG 273
  12. CHAPTER IX PAINTINGS AND MURALS OF THE SUI AND TANG DYNASTIES 306
  13. CHAPTER X SCULPTURAL ART OF THE SUI AND TANG DYNASTIES 348
  14. CHAPTER XI ARCHITECTURE AND CRAFT ARTS OF THE SUI AND TANG DYNASTIES 380
  15. CHAPTER XII MATURATION AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF SUI AND TANG THEORIES OF CALLIGRAPHY AND PAINTING 421
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